henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) (07/20/86)
I just got a lump of sales literature from MIPS on their machines. Quite
interesting. They seem to be pitching it mainly at OEMs, since the only
fully-packaged version is explicitly specified as a development system to
let you get your software in order while your hardware is being built.
One thing that's extremely commendable (are you listening, DEC?) is that
they are selling their CPU as a packaged box AND VMEbus boards AND chips.
Instead of having to buy the whole kit and caboodle from them, you can
decide what level you want to work at.
--
EDEC: Stupidly non-standard
brain-damaged incompatible Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
proprietary protocol used. {allegra,ihnp4,decvax,pyramid}!utzoo!henrygnu@hoptoad.uucp (John Gilmore) (07/25/86)
Henry was noodging DEC for only selling packaged systems while MIPS
would sell chips, boards, or systems. Maybe the reason is:
I heard a rumor that MIPS does not *build* the development system that
they sell. It's OEMed from Plexus.
This is an utterly reasonable idea. Consider how much pain would have
been saved had Motorola sold Suns rather than their odd, slow Versados
systems. Even a box from one of those fly-by-night companies that were
formed to provide a market for Unisoft would have been better. How
many people ever want to see an Intel Development System again?
[Of course you need to create the tools needed for cross-development,
but OEM hardware and software, as a base to build development systems
on, seems to follow the leading edge a lot closer than chip-mfrs'
hardware and software.]
I'm curious why MIPS hasn't made this rumor public knowledge. Perhaps
Plexus is not selling the system through its own sales offices yet?
--
John Gilmore {sun,ptsfa,lll-crg,ihnp4}!hoptoad!gnu jgilmore@lll-crg.arpa
May the Source be with you!